Small

The loud and ever-encouraging Coliseum crowd of 14,444 viewed a Moutaineer team that held the Cyclones to their lowest point total of the season and 28 points below their scoring average.

Iowa State came in as the country’s No. 2-ranked team. It left to the deafening din of a student-filled court, where arms were raised in unison as “Country Roads” blared over the building’s sound system.

The culmination of Jerry West Day could be toasted, only because Javon Small scored 27 points, including 12 in the final two minutes of action.

Small also had seven rebounds, five assists and four steals in his 37 minutes of play. He converted all seven of his free throws.

Hansberry

Turnovers and facing a variety of pressure defenses had been problems for the Mountaineers. But against Iowa State there were only nine turnovers, while Iowa State committed 14 turnovers.

Both teams used only eight players each. West Virginia players Amani Hansberry (12 points, six rebounds and 4-of-8 on three-point attempts), Jonathan Powell (nine points in 37 minutes) and Toby Okani (32 minutes) all had more than a few moments of glory, as the Mountaineers made 11-of-14 free throws and had only 13 team fouls.

Because WVU fouled so few times, Iowa State attempted only seven free throws. The hard-pressed Cyclones could make only 1-of-17 three-point attempts.

West Virginia’s 25-24 lead at the half didn’t really presage anything, except that Iowa State was not going to be able to find the type of shots it wanted or will its way toward extending its 12-game winning streak.

Even though they were outrebounded, 38-28, the Mountaineers rarely ceded any second-shot baskets.

Okani

Both team defenses exerted enough half-court tenacity that finding any streak of points never came until the game’s last two minutes, where Small could score 12 straight points.

West Virginia moved its nationally-ranked record to 13-4 (4-2 in the Big 12), while the red-clad Cyclones dropped to 15-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

After another home game this past Tuesday, the Mountaineers travel to play Kansas State on Saturday.

WVU wore what were labeled as “throwback uniforms” on Jerry West Day. It was announced to the receptive crowd that no player in either men’s or women’s sports will ever wear West’s number 44 again in competition.

The afternoon had been a rousing success in many ways. And John Denver’s song, “Country Roads,” echoed through the building as the court cleared of students and West Virginia still moved steadily toward a much-valued NCAA Tournament berth.

Powell